Kenya struggling with price of medical oxygen

Kenya is struggling with the price of medical oxygen as the country tackles the spread of the new coronavirus.

The price of medical oxygen for hospitals, essential in the treatment of new virus patients, is currently 5 times what it costs in Europe or the United States.

While the price difference is stark, it is a huge improvement from 2017 when the price of a litre of oxygen was 10 and 13 times more than in Europe and the United States respectively.

However, it has many medical practitioners in Kenya and around sub-Saharan Africa concerned.

"So we are poor but we pay 13 times more for a litre of oxygen than our rich counterparts in the north so the price difference is one thing that worries me because if the cases go up for example for COVID-19, then the hospitals can't even afford it," says Benard Olayo, a physician and the founder of Hewa Tele.

Before Hewa Tele started manufacturing oxygen for hospitals the price per litre in Kenya was about 1 US dollar whereas the prices in Europe and the United States range between 7 to 10 cents per litre.

Since Hewa Tele increased the supply the price has dropped by 50 percent to around 50 cents per litre, but still that is at least 5 times more than what it costs Europe.

Olayo blames the shortages of oxygen on "the lack of technology."

"Technical capacity on the side of government to produce and distribute oxygen and as a result oxygen is very expensive and rarely available where it is needed the most", Olay said.

Ventilators are already in short supply despite being essential in treating COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus.

However, there is also a short supply of medical oxygen, typically is used during mechanical ventilation to aid critically ill patients who have difficulty breathing.

According to experts, this can be attributed to policy hindrances as well as the lack of technical know-how to enable oxygen to be made available at affordable rates.

"It is not until 2017 that oxygen was included in the WHO's list of essential medicines for the treatment of pneumonia and children under 5. That policy change opened doors for more resources going towards oxygen," says Olayo.

Kenya has recorded 363 infections of the new coronavirus, with 14 deaths.

The government recently made it illegal to not wear face masks in public, and has imposed a nationwide curfew from 7pm to 5am.

Nairobi, the port of Mombasa, as well as Kilifi and Kwale counties on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, have been sealed off from the rest of the country in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.